China-Latin America

On Thursday, February 14,His Excellency Iván Duque Márquez, President of the Republic of Colombia, discussed Colombia’s ambitious agenda for transitional justice, economic reform, and regional leadership. Duque, who was sworn in as president of Colombia in August 2018, was interviewed by CNBC Contributor Michelle Caruso-Cabrera. The Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center at the Atlantic Council hosted the event in conjunction with CSIS, AS/COA, the Inter-American Dialogue, and the Wilson Center. President Duque covered a wide array of topics, including:

On December 3, 2018, the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center gathered distinguished experts to discuss the US-China trade-and-investment relationship. It was the purpose of this forum to rigorously analyze and at times debate the tenuous relationship between the world’s two largest economies and formally introduce the report China-Latin America Trade at a Moment of Uncertainty: What Lies Ahead in 2019?, an Atlantic Council publication authored by Anabel González, former Costa Rican minister of trade and the World Bank’s former senior director of Global Practice on Trade and Competitiveness.

US President Donald J. Trump has described the caravan of Central American migrants making its way north through Mexico as an “invasion” by “many gang members and some very bad people.” Former Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent David Ward claimed—without a shred of evidence—that the group comes bearing smallpox, leprosy, and tuberculosis.

The US-China trade dispute has put Latin America in a bind. While the tit-for-tat feud between the world’s two largest economies has had global repercussions, Latin America finds itself torn between its long-standing, traditional North American partner and a relatively new Asian investor.

As the United States and China compete for global economic dominance, Latin America must engage China for short-term trade opportunities without jeopardizing its drive toward long-term, sustainable economic growth and diversification. It must also preserve important ties to the United States and North America, which provide the region with crucial economic, diplomatic, and security support.

On Wednesday, May 9th, the Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center and the Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, in partnership with HSBC, hosted an event titled "Spiraling US-China Trade Tensions and the Implications for Latin America and the World." The event featured a keynote conversation with former US Secretary of Defense William Cohen, moderated by Gerardo Mato, chairman of global banking and markets, Americas, for HSBC. The event was opened by Atlantic Council President and CEO Fred Kempe, and featured a panel with former US Ambassador to Mexico Carlos Pascual, senior vice president of the US-China Business Council, executive director for Brazil and Suriname at the Inter-American Development Bank, Senior Private Sector Specialist, Macroeconomics, Trade & Investment Barbara Kotschwar at the World Bank, and president of Lennar International Chris Marlin. The panel was moderated by Jason Marczak, director of the Adrienne Arsht Latin America...
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Over the past decade, Latin America has vastly expanded its exports to China, which are now approximately $100 billion annually. These exports are primarily focused on raw goods and unprocessed goods, mainly: soybeans, iron ore, crude oil, and copper. Many natural resource-rich countries aim to move from exporting raw goods to higher value-added goods, but factors on both sides are preventing some Latin America countries from doing so. For example, export taxes in Brazil on processed soybeans, or tariff escalation...
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On Monday March 5th, at S&P Global Platts NYC headquarters, the Atlantic Council’s Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center and Global Energy Center, in partnership with HSBC, hosted an event titled “A Rising China’s Impact on Global Energy and the Implications for the United States,” with former US Secretary of CommerceCarlos Gutierrez. The event launched the Atlantic Council’s latest report, China, Oil, and Latin America: Myth vs. Reality. The event kicked off with the Director of the Adrienne Arsht Latin America Center, Jason Marczak, providing his insight into the changing geopolitics between China, Latin America, and the United States. He noted that China’s president will now likely rule China for quite some time, and how there has been a sharp focus by China on strengthening relations with Latin America, including China’s recent invitation for Latin America to join its Belt and Road Initiative. Next, HSBC’s...
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China's global influence is on the rise. In Latin America, Chinese firms are not only increasing their investment, but rapidly expanding to new areas of the economy. To explore the implications for all stakeholders in the region, the Atlantic Council, in partnership with the OECD, launched on June 26 a revealing study analyzing data not previously available to the public. New numbers show dramatic rises in FDI from China in Latin America—beyond oil and mining, China is today focusing on ICT, electricity, finance, and alternative energy.